Stevenson, David Barker

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Stevenson, David Barker

1801-1859

David Barker Stevenson was a businessman, justice of the peace, office holder, and politician. He was born November 17, 1801 in Clinton (Hyde Park), N.Y., son of Timothy Stevenson and Phoebe Barker. On December 14, 1830 he married Agnes Rebecca Dougall of Hallowell (Picton), Upper Canada, and they had one daughter. He died on March 3, 1859 in Picton.

Stevenson emigrated to Canada in 1824 and took up residence in the village of Hallowell in Prince Edward County where his Barker relatives had previously emigrated. He did business as a general merchant in grain, timber and other commodities. Stevenson had a varied career of public service, at municipal, county and provincial levels. He was a member of Picton's first elected town council (1850) and continued to serve on that body until 1854, at which time he was elected Mayor. He was also a member of the first Municipal Council of Prince Edward District, Warden of the District and, following the Municipal Reform Bill, Warden of the County in 1851-1853. A Conservative in politics, Stevenson was elected member for Prince Edward in the Provincial Parliament in 1848 and twice re-elected. He was defeated in the general election of 1857. Other positions held by Steveson include the presidency of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company, orgainzed at Picton in 1836, and the secretaryship of the Prince Edward County Agricultural Society.

Stevenson's early religious sympathies lay with the Society of Friends, but a few years after his arrival in Hallowell he joined the Church of England, being listed among those renting pews in the new Church of St. Mary Magdalene in 1830.

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